Silo construction.



F. W. WlLLlAMS.

SILO CONSTRUCTION.

APPLICATION man MAY 1, 1914.

1,173,974. Patented Feb. 22,1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

-T IE1l F. w. WILLIAMS.

SlLO CONSTRUCTION.

. APPLICATION FILED MAY 1, 1914. 1,173,07. Patented Feb. 22,1916.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2- co-, WASHINGTON. D. c.

'I II I [I TE STA FREDRICK W. WILLIAMS, OF SUMMIT, SOUTH DAKOTA.

SILO CONSTRUCTION.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 22, 1916.

Application filed May 1, 1914. SeriaI No. 835.660.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDRICK W. WIL- LIAMS, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Summit, in the county of Roberts and State of SouthDakota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in SiloConstructions, of which the following is a specification. I

This invention relates to silos, such as are employed for the storage ofensilage used for feed for domestic stock, and the primary object of theinvention is the provision of means whereby the ensilage may beconveniently and easily taken from the silo for the purpose ofdistribution to the domestic animals.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a spiral stairwaywhich winds about the outer surface of the silo construction, and isplaced directly beneath a plurality of doors or openings whichcommunicate with the interior of the silo, and to mount a chute beneaththe stairway so that the ensilage may be thrown out through the doorsinto the chute, from whence it slides downwardly into any suitablereceptacle preparatory to its distribution to the animals, and toprovide trap doors within the steps whereby access may be gained to thechute, which is positioned beneath the steps.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, this invention consists insuch novel features of construction, combination, and arrangement ofparts as will be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, and claimed.

In describing the invention in detail, reference will be had to theaccompanying drawings wherein like characters of reference designatelike or corresponding parts throughout the several views.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a silo showing the improvedstairwaywound thereabout, and having a part of the protective casing forthe stairway broken away. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the silo showingthe roof of the protective casing broken away to disclose the steps.Fig. 3 is a central sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, and, Fig.4 is a detail fragmentary sectional view of a part of the stairway,showing the trap door construction formed therein.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 1 designates the retainingbody of the silo, which is cylindrical in shape, and which has windingspirally about its outer surface a casing 2. The casing 2 has mountedthere- 1n a stairway 3, which stairway constitutes the ordinary steps,having the risers 4: and the tread surfaces proper 5. The steps 3 arepositioned directly below openings 6, which openings are formed in theside walls of the silo retaining body 1, and extend outwardly and aroundthe sides of the silo, as is clearly shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings, sothat they will be positioned conveniently for access thereto by a personmounting the steps 3. A chute 7 is mounted within the casing 2, and itis substantially semi-circular in shape, being constructed of anysuitable type of material, such as sheet metal or the like, and extendsdownwardly and spirally around within the casing 2, having an egressingopening 8 formed near its lower terminal end. The steps directlyopposite to each of the openings 6, are hingedly connected to theirapproach as shown at 9 in Fig. 4: of the drawings, so that the treadportion 5 of the step may be raised to permit of communication with thechute which is mounted beneath the steps, for the throwing of ensilagefrom the doors into the chute so that the same will pass downwardly inthe chute to the bottom of the silo and out of the opening 8 into anysuitable type of receptacle (not shown) from which it may be distributed to the domestic animals. The approach 10, which is formed adjacentthe trapdoor 5, has a transversely projecting flange 11, upon which themarginal edge of the hinged section of the steps rest, so as to preventthe steps from falling inwardly when a person passes upon the same. i

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, it will be readily apparent that a silo which hasa spiral stairway mounted about the outer surface of the same, and whichis provided with doors spaced one above the other in spiral arrangementwithin the side walls of the'silo, will provide for the convenientremoval of the ensilage from the silo and eliminate the use of a ladder,which is oftentimes objectionable to parties having to remove theensilage from the silo.

In reducing the invention to practice, certain minor features ofconstruction, combination and arrangement of parts may necessitatealterations, to which the patentee is entitled provided such alterationsare comprehended within the scope of what is claimed.

What is claimed is 1. In a silo construction, the combination, of acylindrical ensilage retainer provided with a plurality of openings cuttherein, said openings being arranged at different elevations withinsaid ensilage retainer and spirally about the circumference of the same,a stairway secured to the outer surface of said ensilage retainer andpositioned a short distance below said openings for permittingconvenient access to said openings, a protecting casing disposed aboutsaid stairway, a chute secured to said stairway and positioned beneaththe same, and trap doors formed in said stairway adjacent said openings,for permitting of the passage of ensilage through said stairway intosaid chute.

2. In a silo construction, the combination, of a cylindrical ensilageretainer having a plurality of openings cut therein, said openings beingarranged spirally about the circumference of said retainer, meanssecured to the outer surface of said retainer for permitting of accessto said openings for entrance. into said retainer, a chute secured" tothe under surface of said last named means,

andtrap doors formed in said means adjacent said openings for permittingof the passageof ensilage through said means into said chute.

3. In a silo construction, the combination, of an ensilage retainerhaving a plurality of openings cut therein and arrangedv spirally aboutthe circumference of the retainer, a casing secured to the outer surfaceof said 35 retainer and winding spirally about the same, said openingscommunicating; with the interiorof said casing, a stairway positionedwithin said casing, a chute'positionedwithin said casing beneath saidstairway, 40 certain ofthe tread portions of said stairway beingliingedly connected to the corresponding flight sections of the same forforming trap doors for permitting access to said chute.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FREDRIGK- V. WILLIAMS; lVitnesses D. W. STEELE, E. A. CHRISTENSEN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). 0'.

